Candy Leonard is a first-generation Beatle fan, intimately familiar with their entire body of work, biography, the commentary on them, and Beatle fan culture. She is also a sociologist with a background in qualitative research, child development, popular culture, and media studies who has written and lectured on the Beatles. She lives in Cambridge, MA.
"This fun and insightful study of pop music fandom is recommended
both to older Beatlemaniacs who were there and to younger fans who
want to know what it was like to be a part of the phenomenon.”
Library Journal
A must-have for Beatles fans looking for new insight . . . Leonard
uncovers fresh ideas [that] . . . six decades of Beatles literature
passed over by shifting attention from the Beatles’ personal and
professional lives to their fans’ stories. . . . Leonard’s ability
to mesh both a strong narrative style and her research adds
concrete scenes readers can enjoy and picture throughout the book.”
Payton Davis, thespectrum.com
A book like no other . . . Highly recommended to anyone who was
alive when the Beatles rocked our world, or for those who came
later that want to visit Beatle magic for the first time.” Lauren
Passarelli, guitar professor and Beatles expert, Berklee College of
Music
Explores a vital, yet overlooked aspect of the Beatles’
phenomenon, and the many quotes from fans provide invaluable
perspective on the band’s impact on US teens during the sixties.”
The Glass Onion Beatles Journal
For once, a book about the Beatles that differs . . . from the
ones that have gone before. Beatleness is a look at the meaning of
the Beatles to the first generation’ . . . Told through numerous
perspectives, it traces the five-year journey of these fans along
with the Beatles from their debut, their progression and their end
in May 1970. . . . A worthwhile and deeply interesting read . . .
Highly recommended.” Rob Ross, Popdose
Candy Leonard explores new ground in this glorious examination of
how the four lads from Liverpool changed our lives. Beatleness is
the story of you, me, and millions of other baby boomers that grew
up loving the Beatles.” Chachi Loprete, host of Breakfast with The
Beatles, WZLX Radio, Boston
A fascinating study of the Beatles’ resounding impact upon
late-twentieth-century American culture. . . . While hundreds of
Beatles books stake claims about being the definitive work,
Leonard’s Beatleness finally gets to the heart of the matter,
offering readers new insights into the unusual and lasting nature
of Beatles fandom.” Kenneth Womack, author of Long and Winding
Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles and The Beatles
Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four
As a college-level Beatles instructor, I find Dr. Leonard’s work
accessible to students new to the fields of sociology and critical
cultural studies. This text puts the popular’ back in popular
culture studies. What Howard Zinn accomplished in A Peoples History
of the United States, Dr. Leonard achieves in Beatleness, a true
People’s History of The Beatles.” David Gallant, Suffolk
University, Boston
There have been many books through the years about the Beatles,
but Candy Leonard’s Beatleness stands out. It’s a wonderful
analysis of the Beatles and Beatlemania that will make Beatle fans
smile because they can relate to it and see themselves in it. There
have been many attempts over the years to describe how the Beatles
affected their fans and the world. Pick up Beatleness and discover
the Beatles all over again.” Steve Marinucci, Beatles Examiner
Unique among Beatle booksand I’ve read just about all of
themBeatleness is a heartfelt exploration of the relationship
between the lads from Liverpool and first-generation fans, showing
how that relationship changed all of us. You will find yourself in
these pages, and you will love what you read.” Jude Southerland
Kessler, author of The John Lennon Series
Leonard manages to find a new angle of approach to the study of
the Beatles. . . . A welcome . . . sociocultural study for the
Beatlemaniac bookworm.” Kirkus Reviews
Candy Leonard’s focus on the way the Beatles’ fans saw
themparticularly as they changed, musically and otherwise, during
the 1960sis both innovative and revealing, and adds a new
dimension to how we think of the Beatles and their
accomplishments.”Allan Kozinn, former New York Times music critic
and author of The Beatles: From the Cavern to the Rooftop
Beatlemania was a singular force in the history of the world, and
it has never been capably explained in all of its dimensions. But
Candy Leonard’s Beatleness gets us a little bit closer. This is a
soulfully written, genre-defying book that should be of interest to
Beatles fans and cultural historians alike.” John McMillian,
author of Beatles vs. Stones
A new book that’s bound to give even a modest fan a unique look at
how the Beatles forever changed the world of music.” US Airways
Magazine
Beatleness demonstrates that the Beatles are an important part of
who we are as baby boomers.” Paul Briand, Baby Boomer Examiner
Beatleness taps into our generation’s collective memory and evokes
the sixties through our personal relationship with the Beatles. The
Beatles were our troubadours who helped us make sense of a
turbulent era, and Beatleness shows us how. . . . For those who
want to see how the Beatles helped define a generation, this is the
book to read.” Leonard Steinhorn, and author of The Greater
Generation: In Defense of the Baby Boom Legacy
Candy Leonard’s evocative book is filled with striking insights
into the experiences and sensibilities of the young who plunged
into Beatlemania, and contributes much to a composite portrait of
the sixties as they were lived.” Todd Gitlin, author of The
Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage
An accessible read and an often fascinating journey of how one
generation has incorporated the Beatles’ music into their lives. .
. . Fills a knowledge gap in the band’s vast history . . . First
generation fans will appreciate this look back at a particular time
in music history, while subsequent generations will enjoy learning
why the band still plays a significant part in music and general
history.” Kit O’Toole, author of Songs We Were Singing: Guided
Tours Through the Beatles’ Lesser-Known Tracks
Leonard connects Beatles fans’ experiences with the tumult of the
times, creating a rich and insightful study of what truly has to be
one of the most significant phenomena of the twentieth century.”
William Routhier, Boston Music Examiner
With the sheer number of Beatles-related books available, it seems
a fool’s errand to try to write one that offers a fresh
perspective. Leonard’s Beatleness, however, does just that, because
she goes straight to a vital (and largely ignored) Fab Four source:
the fans. . . . She builds a three-dimensional, completely human
tale, the likes of which has never before been tackled by a Beatles
author.” Allison Johnelle Boron, Goldmine
In producing Breakfast With The Beatles for 25 years, one of my
greatest ongoing challenges is trying to describe what it was like
when Beatlemania was actually happening. For first-generation and
new fans alike, Candy Leonard’s Beatleness is the go-to source for
exactly that. It goes way beyond the simple chronology of events,
explaining why we felt the way we did about The Beatles and their
music, and why they were so important to us. In telling the story
this way, Beatleness provides a clearer picture of how they changed
the world.” Dennis Mitchell, producer/host of the globally
syndicated, award-winning Dennis Mitchell’s Breakfast With The
Beatles
Candy Leonard was possessed’ when she first heard the Beatles,
and Beatleness is her story and ours. It’s breezy, smart and
openhearted, and everyone who grew up with the bandor wants to
know what that was likewill appreciate its insights and feel its
emotional impact.” Anthony DeCurtis, contributing editor, Rolling
Stone
Very impressive. Beatleness not only describes what it was like to
be a hardcore fan from the beginning (like me), but explains it in
a historical and personal context. For forty years of The FEST
we’ve been celebrating our love for the Beatles with thousands of
fans. Now we have a word for it.” Mark Lapidos, president, Mark
Lapidos Productions and founder, The Fest for Beatles Fans
A very intelligent and well-researched book on a phenomenon that
has reached the half-century mark and is still evolving.” Dave
Schwensen, author of The Beatles at Shea Stadium and The Beatles in
Cleveland
From ex-employees to ex-lovers, we’ve seemingly heard from
everyone associated with the Beatles. Beatleness finally lets us
hear from another group: the fans whose lives were forever altered
by rock’s greatest band. These are vivid snapshots of people who
rode the waveand suffered through the crashof Beatlemania as much
as anyone who worked for the band.”David Browne, author of Fire
and Rain: The Beatles,Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and
the Lost Story of 1970
I love this book! The beautifully written Beatleness will not only
bring to life all the excitement for those that weren’t living yet
during the Beatle years, it will cause major goosebumps, all over
again, to those who were there. It’s an incredibly hip and astute
account of all the Beatles’ major happenings that affected so many
people around the world who were riveted to their every move. I
can’t wait to read it again!”Will Lee, Grammy Awardwinning bass
player and studio musician, Late Show with David Letterman and Fab
Faux
"This fun and insightful study of pop music fandom is recommended
both to older Beatlemaniacs who were there and to younger fans who
want to know what it was like to be a part of the phenomenon.”
Library Journal
A must-have for Beatles fans looking for new insight . . . Leonard
uncovers fresh ideas [that] . . . six decades of Beatles literature
passed over by shifting attention from the Beatles’ personal and
professional lives to their fans’ stories. . . . Leonard’s ability
to mesh both a strong narrative style and her research adds
concrete scenes readers can enjoy and picture throughout the book.”
Payton Davis, thespectrum.com
A book like no other . . . Highly recommended to anyone who was
alive when the Beatles rocked our world, or for those who came
later that want to visit Beatle magic for the first time.” Lauren
Passarelli, guitar professor and Beatles expert, Berklee College of
Music
Explores a vital, yet overlooked aspect of the Beatles’
phenomenon, and the many quotes from fans provide invaluable
perspective on the band’s impact on US teens during the sixties.”
The Glass Onion Beatles Journal
For once, a book about the Beatles that differs . . . from the
ones that have gone before. Beatleness is a look at the meaning of
the Beatles to the first generation’ . . . Told through numerous
perspectives, it traces the five-year journey of these fans along
with the Beatles from their debut, their progression and their end
in May 1970. . . . A worthwhile and deeply interesting read . . .
Highly recommended.” Rob Ross, Popdose
Candy Leonard explores new ground in this glorious examination of
how the four lads from Liverpool changed our lives. Beatleness is
the story of you, me, and millions of other baby boomers that grew
up loving the Beatles.” Chachi Loprete, host of Breakfast with The
Beatles, WZLX Radio, Boston
A fascinating study of the Beatles’ resounding impact upon
late-twentieth-century American culture. . . . While hundreds of
Beatles books stake claims about being the definitive work,
Leonard’s Beatleness finally gets to the heart of the matter,
offering readers new insights into the unusual and lasting nature
of Beatles fandom.” Kenneth Womack, author of Long and Winding
Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles and The Beatles
Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four
As a college-level Beatles instructor, I find Dr. Leonard’s work
accessible to students new to the fields of sociology and critical
cultural studies. This text puts the popular’ back in popular
culture studies. What Howard Zinn accomplished in A Peoples History
of the United States, Dr. Leonard achieves in Beatleness, a true
People’s History of The Beatles.” David Gallant, Suffolk
University, Boston
There have been many books through the years about the Beatles,
but Candy Leonard’s Beatleness stands out. It’s a wonderful
analysis of the Beatles and Beatlemania that will make Beatle fans
smile because they can relate to it and see themselves in it. There
have been many attempts over the years to describe how the Beatles
affected their fans and the world. Pick up Beatleness and discover
the Beatles all over again.” Steve Marinucci, Beatles Examiner
Unique among Beatle booksand I’ve read just about all of
themBeatleness is a heartfelt exploration of the relationship
between the lads from Liverpool and first-generation fans, showing
how that relationship changed all of us. You will find yourself in
these pages, and you will love what you read.” Jude Southerland
Kessler, author of The John Lennon Series
Leonard manages to find a new angle of approach to the study of
the Beatles. . . . A welcome . . . sociocultural study for the
Beatlemaniac bookworm.” Kirkus Reviews
Candy Leonard’s focus on the way the Beatles’ fans saw
themparticularly as they changed, musically and otherwise, during
the 1960sis both innovative and revealing, and adds a new
dimension to how we think of the Beatles and their
accomplishments.”Allan Kozinn, former New York Times music critic
and author of The Beatles: From the Cavern to the Rooftop
Beatlemania was a singular force in the history of the world, and
it has never been capably explained in all of its dimensions. But
Candy Leonard’s Beatleness gets us a little bit closer. This is a
soulfully written, genre-defying book that should be of interest to
Beatles fans and cultural historians alike.” John McMillian,
author of Beatles vs. Stones
A new book that’s bound to give even a modest fan a unique look at
how the Beatles forever changed the world of music.” US Airways
Magazine
Beatleness demonstrates that the Beatles are an important part of
who we are as baby boomers.” Paul Briand, Baby Boomer Examiner
Beatleness taps into our generation’s collective memory and evokes
the sixties through our personal relationship with the Beatles. The
Beatles were our troubadours who helped us make sense of a
turbulent era, and Beatleness shows us how. . . . For those who
want to see how the Beatles helped define a generation, this is the
book to read.” Leonard Steinhorn, and author of The Greater
Generation: In Defense of the Baby Boom Legacy
Candy Leonard’s evocative book is filled with striking insights
into the experiences and sensibilities of the young who plunged
into Beatlemania, and contributes much to a composite portrait of
the sixties as they were lived.” Todd Gitlin, author of The
Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage
An accessible read and an often fascinating journey of how one
generation has incorporated the Beatles’ music into their lives. .
. . Fills a knowledge gap in the band’s vast history . . . First
generation fans will appreciate this look back at a particular time
in music history, while subsequent generations will enjoy learning
why the band still plays a significant part in music and general
history.” Kit O’Toole, author of Songs We Were Singing: Guided
Tours Through the Beatles’ Lesser-Known Tracks
Leonard connects Beatles fans’ experiences with the tumult of the
times, creating a rich and insightful study of what truly has to be
one of the most significant phenomena of the twentieth century.”
William Routhier, Boston Music Examiner
With the sheer number of Beatles-related books available, it seems
a fool’s errand to try to write one that offers a fresh
perspective. Leonard’s Beatleness, however, does just that, because
she goes straight to a vital (and largely ignored) Fab Four source:
the fans. . . . She builds a three-dimensional, completely human
tale, the likes of which has never before been tackled by a Beatles
author.” Allison Johnelle Boron, Goldmine
In producing Breakfast With The Beatles for 25 years, one of my
greatest ongoing challenges is trying to describe what it was like
when Beatlemania was actually happening. For first-generation and
new fans alike, Candy Leonard’s Beatleness is the go-to source for
exactly that. It goes way beyond the simple chronology of events,
explaining why we felt the way we did about The Beatles and their
music, and why they were so important to us. In telling the story
this way, Beatleness provides a clearer picture of how they changed
the world.” Dennis Mitchell, producer/host of the globally
syndicated, award-winning Dennis Mitchell’s Breakfast With The
Beatles
Candy Leonard was possessed’ when she first heard the Beatles,
and Beatleness is her story and ours. It’s breezy, smart and
openhearted, and everyone who grew up with the bandor wants to
know what that was likewill appreciate its insights and feel its
emotional impact.” Anthony DeCurtis, contributing editor, Rolling
Stone
Very impressive. Beatleness not only describes what it was like to
be a hardcore fan from the beginning (like me), but explains it in
a historical and personal context. For forty years of The FEST
we’ve been celebrating our love for the Beatles with thousands of
fans. Now we have a word for it.” Mark Lapidos, president, Mark
Lapidos Productions and founder, The Fest for Beatles Fans
A very intelligent and well-researched book on a phenomenon that
has reached the half-century mark and is still evolving.” Dave
Schwensen, author of The Beatles at Shea Stadium and The Beatles in
Cleveland
From ex-employees to ex-lovers, we’ve seemingly heard from
everyone associated with the Beatles. Beatleness finally lets us
hear from another group: the fans whose lives were forever altered
by rock’s greatest band. These are vivid snapshots of people who
rode the waveand suffered through the crashof Beatlemania as much
as anyone who worked for the band.”David Browne, author of Fire
and Rain: The Beatles,Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and
the Lost Story of 1970
I love this book! The beautifully written Beatleness will not only
bring to life all the excitement for those that weren’t living yet
during the Beatle years, it will cause major goosebumps, all over
again, to those who were there. It’s an incredibly hip and astute
account of all the Beatles’ major happenings that affected so many
people around the world who were riveted to their every move. I
can’t wait to read it again!”Will Lee, Grammy Awardwinning bass
player and studio musician, Late Show with David Letterman and Fab
Faux
This item has low availability through normal channels. The supplier has a low reliability rating in Fishpond's system and may not arrive on time. Learn more.
![]() |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
![]() |